At the tabletop market in New York last month, vendors expanded their floral offerings, layered in more visual texture and highlighted dressmaker details like netting and lace. Neutrals like taupe and gray cropped up in showroom after showroom, while on the other end of the color spectrum, soft blues and greens were the combo of choice.—Allison Zisko
Meyer Corp.
Housewares company Meyer Corp. exhibited at the New York Tabletop Show for the first time ever, showcasing its Rachael Ray and Paula Deen licensed dinnerware lines. There were several new items in both collections, which launched in the spring. The Paula Deen brand introduced three holiday patterns, each with bold floral designs: Amaryllis, Christmas Wreath and Poinsettia. A sculpted stoneware called Spiceberry in a cream, red or green colorway complemented the new patterns. There were also several new porcelain patterns sporting different floral or herbal motifs, and flatware to match. Under the Rachael Ray brand there were also new holiday designs, including Hoot Holiday, pictured, featuring the small owl motif Ray is fond of. And a recent Italian vacation inspired Ray to create several tile-like designs on dinnerware. meyer.com
Denby
In an effort to attract new and young consumers, Denby has introduced a lower price point collection called Entrée. “We want to jump start the business with price points that resonate,” said Lynn Okulski, president of Denby.
Harlequin Brights takes its inspiration from a longtime Denby pattern called Harlequin. The new iteration, consisting of “factory friendly” shapes, offers light blue and green coordinates that allow consumers to match colors on either the center or the rim of the plate. A four-piece place setting would retail on sale for $39.99.
Another new program is an accent plate collection for Denby’s popular Jet (shown) and Fire collections. “Every year we look for things to complement and add newness to patterns,” said Mark Brelsford, vice president of sales. “This year we’ve added a lot of eye candy.”
Denby’s boldest move is its cookware launch. Six cast-iron cookware pieces and seven oven-to-table ceramic bakeware SKUs in a range of bright hues are meant to be used everyday and are priced between the high-end and private label lines, according to Okulski. Complementary color-rimmed dinnerware lines, in the aforementioned Entrée program, complete the look. denbyusa.com
WWRD
WWRD continues to take a strategic look at its Waterford, Wedgwood and Royal Doulton brands with an eye to what is trending, what the consumer is looking for, and what makes sense from a tiered-brand standpoint.
Royal Albert, part of the Royal Doulton brand, is bringing Old Country Roses to the next generation of consumers with five new patterns that have either vintage looks or more contemporary shapes, some shown here. It also plans to take the roses out of the dining room and license them on kitchen textiles, decorative pillows and bathroom accessories.
Royal Doulton also launched the Donna Hay collection, three dinnerware and accessory designs created by the Australian cookbook author and television host.
Waterford is the new home of designer Monique Lhuillier, previously part of the Royal Doulton brand. The red-carpet dress designer is a better fit for Waterford, executives said. New statement crystal pieces from Lhuillier debuted, along with a new dinnerware pattern. Waterford also celebrates the 60th anniversary of Lismore with an updated diamond cut for the classic line; Lismore Encore, which has a more contemporary bowl shape; and striking new gift packaging with a Pop Art acetate sleeve.
Wedgwood enhanced its tea story with Butterfly Bloom, a sophisticated medley of color and pattern on dessert plates, tea cups and other accessories. New Wedgwood dinnerware is called Patina Platinum, featuring a soft hydrangea design in pale blue and sage. And Vera Wang introduced Devotion, a transitional bone china pattern with ridged, concentric rings in a bronze metallic, for a hardier, masculine look. wwrd.com
Lifetime Brands
Introductions from Lifetime Brands encompass whites, opulent florals and lots of visual texture.
The I Do collection from Mikasa expands with four new patterns (Something Old is pictured) and additions to the Jewelry collection and several other successful franchises. Mikasa is also building its white program with American Countryside, a dinnerware pattern that incorporates elements from both the Italian Countryside and French Countryside collections (complemented by Countryside glass giftware); and Italian Meadow, Antique Garden and Botanical Bouquet, all of which layer into the existing Antique White assortment. Cheers White, meanwhile, takes the best-selling colorful franchise and offers it in white, with the same variety of pattern. The Wild Collection offers a choice of animal skins: crocodile, python, pony, cheetah or zebra, while, on the other side of the fashion continuum, Mikasa’s collection of garden florals expands with several new floral looks.
Nautica offers three new patterns, featuring trend-right color combinations and menswear details; Pfaltzgraff continues to offer updated traditional looks and is getting back into collectibles with mini tea pots and other items. It is also introducing painted glassware serving pieces to complement its dinnerware patterns. lifetimebrands.com
Lenox
Dressmaker details, visual texture and trend-right color combinations define the introductions from the Lenox, Dansk and Gorham brands.
Lenox’s expanding Marchesa collection, inspired by the designer’s red carpet looks, includes the Empire Pearl, Indigo Pearl and Mandarin bridal collections and the more casual Kashmir Garden, sporting a blue and turquoise paisley motif. Under the Lenox brand, there is the casual Moonlit Garden, a charcoal and white floral sketch design; four new bridal patterns (Linen Mist, Pearl Beads, Sheer Grace and Encircled); two casual porcelain patterns; and Nature’s Vows from L by Lenox, a more opulent white leaf design on a taupe background.
The kate spade new york collection now includes Japanese Floral, shown here, a black and white floral dinnerware design inspired by a Florence Broadhurst wallpaper design, two new bridal patterns and Woodland Park, a black and white home decor collection in a variety of figural animal shapes.
Dansk’s new Design with Light program is a lighting collection featuring several archival candlesticks, votives and candelabras in either an aluminum or cast-iron finish. There is also a new alternative metal serveware line called Rivet.
Gorham celebrates its 180th anniversary with a modern take on archival design. The 180 dinnerware collection is reminiscent of metal dinnerware from the 1970s, offered in reactive glazed stoneware that resembles pewter. Also new from Gorham is the Argento collection of colored flatware that utilizes a plating technique that results in an electric blue, copper or titanium finish that is dishwasher safe. lenox.comw